Winding device and method for fixing bundle or coil in the winding device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a winding device 10, in particular, a hot-rolled strip winding device, for winding, in particular, a hot-rolled strip 11 after rolling into bundles or coils 12, having a driven winding unit 13 for winding, in particular, the hot-rolled strip 11 and having means for fixing the bundles or coils 12, wherein said means comprises at least one unit 14 for producing a welded connection 16. The invention proposes that said unit 14 for producing a welded connection 16 be configured for producing a welded connection 16 connecting the last bundle or coil winding to the next to the last bundle or coil winding. The invention further relates to a method for fixing the bundles or coils 12 in a winding device 10, in particular, a hot-rolled strip winding device, for winding, in particular, a hot-rolled strip 11 after rolling into the bundles or coils 12, wherein the winding of, in particular, the hot-rolled strip 11 is carried out by means of a driven winding unit 13, and the fixing of the bundles or coils 12 is carried out by producing at least one welded connection 16. The invention proposes that the fixing of the bundles or coils 12 be carried out by producing a welded connection connecting the last bundle or coil winding to the next to the last bundle or coil winding.

The invention relates to a winding device, in particular, a hot-rolled strip winding device, for winding, in particular, a hot-rolled strip after rolling into bundles or coils and having a driven winding unit for winding, in particular, the hot-rolled strip, and means for fixing the bundles or coils and including at least one unit for producing a welded connection. The invention further relates to a method for fixing the bundles or coils in a winding device, in particular, a hot-rolled strip winding device, for winding, in particular, hot-rolled strip after rolling into the bundles or coils, wherein the winding of, in particular, the hot-rolled strip is carried out by means of a driven winding unit, and the fixing of the bundles or coils is carried out by producing at least one welded connection.

Basically, the hot-rolled strip winding devices are arranged at an end of strip hot-rolling trains and their function consists in winding a hot-rolled strip into bundles or coils after rolling. The strip is wound up under a tensile stress in order to produce a sufficiently firmly wound coil and to prevent springing of the bundle back after finishing of the winding. The tensile stress is also necessary for bending the strip about the mandrel and thereby to plastically deform the strip. In particular, with thick strips, large tensile forces are necessary in order to overcome a plastic bending torque. According to the contemporary state of the art, a coil is bound one or several times with a binding strap immediately after a winding device or still on the coil delivery carriage. As an example, reference is made to the following documents:

JP 2005-279725 relates to a device for fixing the end section of a standard coil and which is used for fixing the end section of a steel strip coil with spot welding, and the installation space of which is reduced, with the operational time for fixing the end section of the steel strip coil being likewise reduced. The device for fixing the end section of the steel strip coil fixes this end section of the steel strip by spot welding. A roller, which presses this steel strip, and a spot-welding device for carrying out the spot welding are integrated in a constructional component. The welding gun of the spot-welding device is provided with an air cylinder for ejecting an electrode, with the gun being arranged in the direction of a middle point of the steel strip coil and is set exactly in the direction of the middle point of the steel strip coil in order to spot weld the end section of the strip steel coil.

JP 2000-007015 relates to a binding strap, a binding device, and a binding method for coil-shaped bodies, and to the use of binding straps for the coil-shaped bodies, wherein the binding strap for the coil-shaped bodies should serve to prevent injury to a worker as a result of an undesirable springing back of the binding strap, and to enable the shortening of the time of binding for the coil-shaped bodies, and without damaging the bound or non-bound coil. The binding strap for coil-shaped bodies is used for binding a steel strip coil and has a strap-like region, a binding region, first and second partial regions, and a locking element with a rubber-like magnet. According to the method of binding the coil-shaped body using the binding strap, the strap has one, non-bound end retained in this condition, while a surface retainer is being used. As soon as the binding strap is unbound, an end of the binding strap for coil-shaped bodies will not spring back in an undesirable manner, whereby the worker is shielded from injury.

DE 38 43 889 C2 relates to a pressure bar for holding strip beginnings of axially adjacent lined-up coils during binding with a packaging strap that should be looped about a circumference of each coil. The portion of the pressure bar, which contacts the coils, consists of a plurality of flexible pressure elements arranged next to each other and individually movable in the direction of the pressure bar the width of which in the longitudinal direction of the pressure bar is smaller than the coil width. There is further provided an externally operated lifter that is alignable relative to the individual coils by being adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the pressure bar, and that raises, upon actuation, one or more arranged next to each other pressure elements, the total width of which is equal to the minimal width of the packaging strap, against a support force.

According to one embodiment, the lifter is displaceably supported on a working beam extending parallel to the pressure bar and is adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the pressure bar together with the packaging strap dispenser. This construction permits to provide a pressure bar for holding strip beginnings of adjacent coils during binding with a packaging strap to-be-looped about the circumference of each coil, with which a stress-free feeding of the packaging strap occurs.

The development of new materials extends in the direction of higher-strength working materials, in part with greater end thicknesses, such as, e.g., for tubular goods up to 25.4 mm or beyond. The contemporary practice to secure coils with a binding strap or the like reaches its limits. The strength and dimensions of the binding straps and the number of loops per coil is limited. When the coils are not fixed with a binding strap immediately after coiling, there is a risk that a coil springs back like a clock spring or the coil becomes at least “loose.”

Proceeding therefrom, the object of the invention is to provide a winding device and a corresponding method for fixing the coils in the winding device and with which a reliable fixation of the coils wound even from thicker strips becomes possible.

With respect to the winding device, this object is achieved by forming the unit for producing a welded connection that connects the last coil winding to the next to the last coil winding. Thereby, in a simple manner, by welding the windings, e.g., on the coil delivery carriage, springing of the coil back during further transportation is prevented. According to an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the unit for producing a welded connection is formed by at least one welding robot.

According to another preferred embodiment, the unit for producing a welded connection is formed for producing the welded connection on an outer side of the coil or bundle.

Because the coils, as a rule, become square-edged during further handling, the welding of the coils on the outer sides minimizes the production losses.

With respect to the method, the object of the invention is achieved, according to the invention, in that the fixation of the coils is effected by producing a welded connection that connects the last coil winding to the next to last coil winding. With regard to the resulting advantages, in order to avoid repetition, reference is made to the discussed advantages of the inventive winding device.

According to the advantageous embodiment, the fixation of coils by producing a welded connection connecting the last coil or bundle winding to the next to the last bundle or coil winding is carried out by at least one welding robot.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the formation of the welded connection is carried out on the outer sides of the bundles or coils. With regard to resulting advantages, reference is made to the embodiments of the winding device.

According to the last feature of the inventive method, the formation of the welding connection is carried out immediately after the coiling process.

Further advantages and particularities of the invention will become apparent from the subclaims and the following description in which an embodiment of the invention, which is shown in a single FIGURE of the drawings, will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic, substantially simplified view of an inventive winding device.

The winding device according to the invention, in particular, a hot-rolled strip winding device is generally designated with a reference numeral 10 and serves for winding up, in particular, of a hot-rolled strip after rolling into coils or bundles that are designated with a reference numeral 12 in the single FIGURE of the drawings. The winding device 10 according to the invention is shown schematically in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The winding device 10 includes a driven winding unit 13 supported on a support shaft (not shown) or the like for winding up, in particular, a hot-rolled strip 11, and means for fixing the bundles or coils 12 and having at least one unit 14 for producing a welded connection 16 for connecting the last bundle or coil winding with the next to the last bundle or coil winding. This is shown in FIG. 1 schematically in a very simplified manner. With this winding device, in a simple manner, by welding the windings, e.g., springing of coils 12 back on a coil delivery carriage during transportation is prevented. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the welding unit 14 for forming a welded connection 16 is formed by at least one, in the present case, by exactly one welding robot 15 that, by itself, can have a per se known construction. Further, in the embodiment shown in the drawings, the unit 14 for forming the welded connection 16 is designed for forming the welded connection 16 on an outer side 17 of the bundle or coil 12. With the weld of the coil 12 being formed on the outer side 17, production losses are minimized.

The inventive method is used for fixing the bundles or coils 12 with the inventive winding device 10, in particular, with a hot-rolled strip winding device for winding up, in particular, the hot-rolled strip 11 after rolling into bundles or coils 12, with the method including winding up, in particular, the hot-roller strip 11 with a driven winding unit 13 and fixing the bundle or coil 12 by forming the welding connection 16. According to the invention, the fixation of the bundle or coils 12 is effected by formation of a connecting welded connection 16 that connects the last bundle or coil winding and a last by one bundle or coil winding. In the shown embodiment, the fixation is carried out by the welding robot 15. The formation of the welded connection 16 takes place on the outer side 17 of the bundle or coil 12. It is further contemplated that the formation of the welding connection 16 takes place immediately after the winding process, e.g., on the coil delivery carriage designated with a reference numeral 18.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   10 Winding device -   11 Hot-rolled strip -   12 Coil -   13 Winding Unit -   14 Unit for forming a welded connection -   15 Welding robot -   16 Welding connection -   17 Outer side (of 12) -   18 Coil delivery carriage 

1. A winding device (10), in particular, a hot-rolled strip winding device for winding, in particular, hot-rolled strip (11) after rolling into bundles or coils (12), comprising a driven winding unit (13) for winding, in particular, the hot-rolled strip (11), and means for fixing the bundles or coils (12), wherein said means has at least one unit (14) for producing a welded connection (16), characterized in that the unit (14) for producing a welded connection (16) is formed for producing the welded connection (16) connecting the last bundle or coil winding with the next to the last bundle or coil winding.
 2. A winding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the unit (14) for producing a welded connection (16) is formed by at least one welding robot (15).
 3. A winding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the unit (14) for producing a welded connection (16) is formed for producing the welded connection (16) on an other side (17) of the coil or bundle (12).
 4. A method for fixing the bundles or coils (12) produced with a winding device (10), in particular, a hot-rolled strip winding device for winding, in particular, a hot-tolled strip (11) after rolling into the bundles or coils (12), wherein the winding of, in particular, the hot-rolled strip (11) is carried out by means of a driven winding unit (13), and the fixing of the bundles or coils (12) is carried out by producing at least one welded connection (16), characterized in that fixation of the bundles or coils (12) is carried out by producing a welded connection (16) connecting the last bundle or coil winding to the next to the last bundle or coil winding.
 5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that fixation of the bundles or coils (12) by producing a welded connection (16) connecting the last bundle or coil winding to the next to the last bundle or coil winding is carried out by at least one welding robot (15).
 6. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the formation of the welded connection (16) is carried out on the outer sides of the bundles or coils (12).
 7. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that the formation of the welded connection (16) is carried out immediately after the winding step. 